Evening Star Newspaper, January 10, 1930, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR | With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY.......January 10, 1930 THEODORE W. NOYES, .. .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company 11ty 8t hnd Fenamyicanta Ave et Yotk SHe, TR Sl o c 1 iropean Of Regent 8. London, Rate by Carrier Within the City. e Evenine Star.............45Ler month he Evening aud Sunday Star (when 4 Sundays) . 60c per month e Evening and Sund: ndays) - 65¢ per month Star o --5¢ per co%y lon made at th each month. Orders may be sent in by mall or telephore National 5000, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland lnlcl !’Ir‘xgnll.1 Bl . mo.. 88c | Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for repubMcation of ail ncws dis- Atches credited o It or not orheiwise cred- Legislation Is the Thing. President Hoover's plun for a joint congressional committee to deal with proposals for legislation to improve the machinery for the enforcement of the prohibition laws has struck a snag in the House, where of all places it might have been expected to have smooth sajling. The difficulty appears to have arisen because the Republican House leaders fear that the creation of such a joint committee, actually to deal with legislation, might tread on the toes of the standing committees which have had jurisdiction of prohibition matters in the past. Professional jealousy has been the cause of the upset of many plans, no matter how well devised. . 4As a matter of fact, so long as legisla- tion which is needed by the country is put through Congress, it makes little difference what committee of the House or Senate handles it, or whether it is handled by a joint committee of the two houses. The President's proposal looked to closer co-operation, perhaps, between the two houses in the matter of the improvement of the governmental machinery for law enforcement than can be had through the ordinary channels, which provide for the con- sideration of legislative measures first by a committee of one house and then by a committee of the second house. His plan also might have expedited consideration of such measures, since the hearings and investigations would have been undertaken by one committee instead of two. But, after all, the main thing is to get the legislation. If the plans of the House leaders are adopted instead of the plan of the President, they may cause & little delay, but they also may prevent friction in the House and in the Senate, due to the feeling on the part of members of the judiciary committees, for example, that they should have handled the bills amending the laws, In the House, as in the Senate, the sentiment is overwhelmingly “dry.” Any Tecommendations for legislation to strengthen prohibition enforcement which the President sends to Congress are likely to have favorable considera- tion. The joint cengressional commit- tee which was proposed. by the Presi- dent, and for the creation of which the BSenate has already adopted & resolu- tion, was expected to work closely with the President’s Law Enforcement Com- mission, which has been studying con- ditions in this country for half a year. ‘There is no reason, however, why the information obtained by that commis- slon’should not be made equally availa- ble to the members of the standing committees of the Senate and the House | which may deal with the legislative pro- posals advanced by the commission and by the President. The Law Enforcement Commission has already transmitted to the Presi- dent a preliminary report, drafted by a subcommittee, dealing with the better enforcement of prohibition. The com- mission is expected to make further recommendations to the President on the same subject. It is not necessary that the President have a joint com- mittee of Congress to which to trans- mit these recommendations, although that might have been a more efficient way of dealing with them. He is at perfect liberty to send at any time any recommendations he may desire to make to any committee of Congress or to the two houses themselves. The .ift in the House over the plan for a joint congressional committee to receive such recommendations on prohibition en- forcement is, after all, a small matter, “since the opportunities for dealing with the subject are ample. —————— Manufacture of stock tickers is one line of activity that prospers, regard- less of market flurries. The more feverish the brokers’ offices, the sooner the tickers wear out and have to be Teplaced. ————— Parrot Fever, Few events are more calculated to create waves of hysteria than the onset | of a new and mysterious epidemic. It seems to come like a giant black demon, hungry with blood lust, out of the mysterious darkness that beats upou ! science’s little Isle of Security. But in the case of parrot fever, or psittccosis, which has broken out at Annapolis, little concern seems war- ranted at present, except for the un- fortunate victims themselves. The only warning that seems opportune is not to handle sick parrots. Probably it would be best not to handle any | parrots for a time and to take due; precautions in cleaning their cages. { ‘While the available evidence is ob- scure, it does not seem probable thau | the malady passes from one person w another. It appears in the past to have been epidemic In househoids rather than communities, leading w the conclusion that all the individuals affected had handled the same bird. But, in view of the t\omparnt)ve rare- ness of the disease aryl the fact thav it has broken out in'recent months in three widely upqn\ed localities— Buenos Aires, Hamburg and Annapo- lis—the wisdom of shijining parrots ity places it at from thirty-five to forty per cent—considerably higher than this among elderly persons and lower among children, The description of the medical book is rather gruesome—“like typhola fever complicated by pneumonia.” Few deaths are believed to have resultea from the psittacosis alone, but from the pneumonia for which it seems to serve as the entering wedge. In this respect it seems to follow the pattern of in- fluenza. It is, in fact, likely to be confused with this malady. Such was the case at first in the worst epidemic of psittacosis yet known, which occurred in Paris in 1892-93, following a great influenza wave. Pet parrots were nu- merous in the French capital at the time and when the differentiation was made it was found that nearly all the cases could be traced to households having these birds. The same was true in the later Boston outbreak, all the victims apparently having petted some drooping parrots in a department store. There seems little doubt of the cause in the cases of the Kalmey family at Annapolis. — rate——— Liberalizing Height Restrictions. ‘The new Tower Building at Four- teenth and K streets is now the tallest building in Washington, the tip of the tower rising to & height of 157 feet above Fourteenth street. The cornice of the building is 110 feet above the sidewalk, with -setbacks bringing the tenantable portion of the building to 130 feet. The Munsey Building, with the cornice 160 feet above the sidewalk, is the next highest building. The Press Building, with the cornice 140 feet above the sidewalk, and the New Wil- lard Hotel, with the cornice 130 fect above F street, are, respectively, the third and fourth highest buildings in ‘Washington. With these comparisons in mind, one is able to picture the commanding ap- pearance of a tower 180 feet high, built on the Dean tract, or Masonic Heights. The Commissioners have reported ad- versely on & proposed amendment to the zoning regulations which would per- mit the construction of this 180-foot structure on this site. It is true that the 180-foot height sought would apply only to a tower, and the objections that usually apply to high office buildings in congested districts would not apply to it. And the senti- mental reasons behind the project, in addition to the fact that it could be made architecturally attractive, are also to be borne in mind. But the Commissioners have practical reasons for turning thumbs down. Thelr stand is based on fundamental principles and these should be upheld. In the first place, the Commissioners should do in all cases as they have done in this case and consistently oppose the expedient of obtaining special legisla- tion from Congress to break the zoning regulations. The maximum height limit under these regulations has been, up to now, 110 feet, with setbacks from the cornice that bring the tenantable por- tions of the bullding to 130 feet. Munsey Building and the New Willard Hotel were built before the zoning ‘The regulations became effective. In the case of the Press Building special legis- lation was obtained from Congress on the ground that the Willard Hotel would otherwise tend to dwarf it. The building, however, does violate the in- tent of the zoning regulations. In the case of the Tower Building, the tower was permitted under the authority of the Commissioners to regulate the height and appearance of superstructures on roofs of bulldings. In this case the pent houses, smoke- stacks, etc., were placed within the tower, giving it a more pleasing ap- pearance. Even then there was contro- versy over the height of the tower, the builders seeking to increase the height above the 157 feet finally permitted. But the Tower Building conforms to the zoning regulations. The proposed structure on Temple Heights would not. The only method of obtaining special dispensation under the zoning act is to overthrow the zoning regulations by act of Congress, and that method is dangerous. The Press building, of course, set a precedent. But it is a dangerous precedent none the less. It should not be followed. Writing on the height problem in Washington, Frederic A. Delano, in 1928, emphasized the fact that the zon- ing policy in Washington, “since the adoption of the original regulations, has been one of continual liberalization of height limitation.” He devoted space to an intelligent discussion of the dan- gers inherent in a policy of liberaliza- tion, concluding his remarks with the statement that “While spires and tow- ers of moderate proportions are often uncbjectionable, it seems apparent in Washington that the dominance of the Nation's Capitol must be preserved.” Zoning regulations undoubtedly cramp individual aspirations. But the harm done is more than balanced by the blanket protection to the community as a whole, and the principle of this protection must be preserved. ————— An intelligent study of business is calling attention to the fact that a battleship is a large and rather pre- carfous investment, o1 Edward W. Bok. Edward W. Bok, whose death occurred yesterday with startling suddenness, gave the people of this country an in- spiring example of self-development. Born in a foreign land, he came here at the age of six years with his parents, when a reversal of fortunes caused their | migration. He was not, however, the “poor immigrant” of the type that has figured often in stories of success in the “land of opportunity.” His father was a man of high position, of education and of culture, forced to seek a new start in America. Young Bok's own career in the new land was not much different from that of the child of the penniless alien. He had to leave school at thirteen and go to work to help the family. He became a messenger. He was of the successful disposition, not content with the job in hand, but doing it thoroughly. He studied stenography. He was attracted to newspaper work— as are many American boys—and began to do shorthand reportorial assignments for the Brooklyn Eagle. That gave him his start. He made good as a reporter, hardly can be denied. ile it pron- ably does not pass from man to man, it may pass from parrot to parrot i obscure ways. ‘Wherever the disease has appearea the mortality rate has been heavy. The ‘most widely consulted medical author- 8 and at the age of nineteen organized and edited a magazine which a few years later he sold profitably and then he joined the Scribner publishing house tion of Cyrus W. Curtis, who offered him the chief position on the staff of the Ladies Home Journal. And he made good at that job. Indeed, he made so good there that he established new records in American periodical Ppublication. That is the briefest possible outline of a career that stands out as one of the marked examples of succers in America. Edward Bok earned every advancement and deserved all the rewards that came from his achievements. He was guided by a philosophy that divided his life into three phases, with a definite pur- pose, early conceived. He held that a man'’s career should be devoted first to preparation, next to achievement and finally to work in retirement as a com- munity asset. So at a comparatively early age he retired from the activities of publication direction, to devote him- self to beneficial works. He sought for means of giving advantageously from the abundant fortune that had come to him. He aided cultural enterprises, philanthropic works, philosophical re- searches. A keen lover of Nature, he dedicated to the creation of a bird refuge and a carillon the latter years of his life, which has been cut lamen- tably short, in the course of his most satisfying and valuable contributions to the welfare and the inspiration of the people. The “singing tower,” rising beautifully from a created park, a lovely and significant shaft, will be Edward Bok's specific memorial. But other works, started and alded by him for the public benefit, will remain as enduring monuments in honor of a man who made the most and the best of the op- Pportunities of America. — e The Senate District Committee. Especial gratification is felt by the citizens of the Capital that in the re- shaping of the committees of the Senate a way has been found to retain on the District committee Senator Wesley L. Jones of Washington, who has long been one of its most valuable and appreciated members and who has now advanced to the post of chairman of the committee on appropriations, vacated by the death of Senator Warren. It is particularly gratifying that Senator Jones has con- sented to continue to serve in this man- ner the Capital community in whose wel- fare he has been greatly interested for many years. It is not to be expected that he will be able to devote as much time as formerly to the questions of local legislation, now that he is charged with the responsibilities of appropriations chairmanship. But the Capital feels confident that he will continue to keep in contact with the work of the Dis- trict committee and that he will thus be enabled to contribute helpfully to the advancement of the local interests. ‘With one exception, the replacement of Senator Hastings by Senator Baird, the Republican personnel of the com- mittee remains intact, save for the withdrawal of Senator Sackett, who leaves to become Ambassador to Ger- many and who, it is expected, will be replaced by his immediate successor in the Senate, Mr. Robsion, now a member of the House of Representatives, well ac- quainted with District matters. This virtually assures the continuation of the personnel of the committee, as few if any changes are to be expected on the Democratic side of the table. This is reassuring to the local community, which relies so heavily upon the District committees of the two houses for un- derstanding and sympathy and helpful co-operation in the functioning of Con- gress as the District's Legislature. No move is to be expected from Cal- vin Coolidge that would embarrass the administration. While President, Mr. Coolidge had troubles of his own and learned the lesson of Intelligent sym- pathy. . Fashion says that skirts must be longer. Interest in athletics will still call for sports attire and leave the ex- tent of draperies largely a matter of individual choice. ——— vt Prohibition is turning over a new leaf for 1930. The only difference from old leaves is that the suggestions on this one are more conspicuous and em- phatic. ———————— Enemies of young La Follette stop at nothing. They even go so far as an attempt to represent him to the country as an infant prodigy. o SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Message. An icicle hangs from the roof. Unto the windowpane comes frost. In comfort we remain aloof, ‘While men in icy realms are lost. While courage still its banner flings Unto the flerce, unfriendly breeze, The Frost King designs to serve and brings A message from the polar seas. Those Who Serve. “Do you aspire to become a dictator?” “No,” answered Senator Sorghum. “There is an oversupply of persons will- ing to dictate. The need is for experts who can take dictation intelligently.” Jud Tunkins says bootleggers have no faith in their own wares. When gang- sters go after one another they use guns. Even More Expensive Than a Night Club! My money had & manner strange. I did my best to save. It got into the stock exchange And it would not behave, Actual Loss. “Did you lose any money in the stock exchange?” “Yes,” answered Mr. Dustin Stax. “Millions?” “I'm not talking about paper losses. ‘What worries me is the 25-cent plece I dropped on the floor and searched for in vain for 15 minutes.” “Talk but little of your ancestors,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, | “unless you need them as apologies for yourselt.” Team Work. ‘The orator is coming through In the accustomed way. 1t is the politiclan who Decides what he shall say. “So many things is agin de law,” said as an advertising writer. He made good at that. He crganized a literary syndi- cate, His success attracted the atten- Uncle Eben, “dat I can't help wonderin’ what a policeman kin do to amuse hisself in offtime.” FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 19%9. THIS AND THA BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. One of the real evils of this age is the perpetual criticism which goes on everywhere. One hears it in society, in office, cn the street, wherever two or more get together. Men meet to dispute. It is hair-trigger disputation, too; criticism at the drop of the hat, bicker- ing for the sake of bickering. Evidently men made a bigger dent in their ancient courtesy than they thought when they gave up getting up to give women seats in street cars. They traded politeness for the doubt- ful pleasure of letting others know that they never agreed with them, even when the latter were right. . * * x x One has but to let drop a statement about anything under the sun, in any average group of men, to have it torn to pleces by the assembled and assorted experts. Men with heavy jowls and immacu- late polka dot tles spring to the quarry with one accord. You ?lre wrong on general principles. y Well, mostly because you said it. How dare you attempt to dictate opin- ion by having one of your own? Resentment is quick, heated, imme- diate, lasting. Let no man think, be- cause we think the opposite. * koK K Opposite of what? Oh, it makes not the slightest bit of difference in the world. Say the sky is blue, or the League of Nations against the anclent ideal. In a second you discover that the sky may appear blue to you, but in reality it is a leaden gray. As for the League of Nations, it is strictly in line with the best ancient ideals. But tomorrow come out as the cham- plon of gray skles and squarely for the League. ‘Then you will see what you get from the eternal critics. The sky is blue, the League would not meet the approval of George Washington, 8o much for principle. * ok ko Utter an abstraction, it will be turned into a personal equation. This 15 one of the best little tricks in the repertoire of the perpetual fault- finders. Often it is a real task to find any- thing wrong with the ideas of a friend, but in such an emergency a deft mis- understanding leads to delightful con- troversy. Let the unhappy man, widely known for love of wife and home, start in merry mood to discuss the advisability of a young man marrying a rich girl. ‘The whole company understands, of course, that the discussion is in gen- eralities. No sane man would think of intruding personalities in such a conversation. “If I had to do it over again” says the unfortunate one, “I would marry a rich girl.” Every one present understood thor- oughly that he either did not mean what he said or did not say precisely what he meant, and that in any event the abstraction lay in the impossibility of Fate working out in the same way in the second theoretical life. “I wouldn’t,” replies the Critic, with a hypocritical look of self-esteem ooz~ ing over his features. “I would marry the same girl I did marry.” Our hero is dumfounded, confused. It had never occurred to him that any one would so immediately attribute to him motives which he did not possess, or would inject personalities into mere abstractions of conversation. Afterward he kicked himself for a fool, but the harm was done. Not only had he thrown pearls in the wrong place, but he had made the old mistake of thinking all men courteous sports- men. Nothing is surer than that they are not. They do not want ideas—other than their own—they do not like dis- cussion. Their aim, in entering conversation, is not to exchange ideas, in that falr spirit which makes talk so delightful, but to end the debate by challenging everything that is said by others than themselves, Such are the large, pompous men who know it all. They are found in all walks of life, here one, there one. There is no escaping them, because if they see you running they will run after you. ‘The only rellef from this contentious age is to cultivate the calm demeanor, build up the sense of humor and avold discussions with such persons as are known to be willing to dispute for the sake of the disputation, Remember that talk, while a gift of the gods, is not for use between every one and every one. There are some people who do not deserve this boon because they take unfair advantages. Let these people talk about what they please, and do you but nod your head pleasantly, from time to time, thus soothing their easily irritated bump of self-esteem. Keep your thoughts to yourself, for they do not deserve to know them. Thoughts, even the most fragile, the most, imperfect, are too good for such people, * koK % And in all your conversing, seek most of all to guard the real thoughts. Real thoughts are honest thoughts. ‘What else can they be? But they are dynamite. Honest "conversation is meant only for kindred souls. If one makes a mis- take he will find himself caught up on_the instant. Thousands resent honest thinking. their whole lives are devoted to fooling themselves, first of all, and then at- tempting to browbeat others into ac- cepting their dishonesty. Be honest only with a few. You may shock even them, at times, but they at least will give you credit for being honest. Speak to them freely, but to all these others, who insist on perpetual con- tradictions, be as smiling, silent oysters. Oysters smile? Surely! Just befors they are eaten. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS ‘The President quite sensibly kept himself clear of the Senate squabble over committee vacancies, the filling of which has been an impending problem ever since last March, and which, after temporizing, cajoling and threats, came to a showdown this week. The fight of the Old Guard to keep young Bob La Follette off the all-powerful finance committee collapsed when White House support was not forthcoming. La Fol- lette’s victory is a signal triumph for the left wing of the Republican party and further evidence of the changing order in the Senate. - The Old Guard is succumbing slowly but surely to the Young Turks on the one hand and the ‘sons of the wild jackasses’ on the other. * ok kX In an effort to eliminate the favorite alibi of maritime rum runners, that they did not hear the warning gun, ordnance technicians are seeking to develop the use by the Coast Guard of a warning bomb, calculated to emit a blast which will shatter any eardrum within the radius of a mile. Admiral Billard, commandant of the Coast Guard, who has had to stand consider- able gaff since the so-called “massacre” of the crew of the rum runner Black Duck in Narragansett Bay by a Coast Guard patrol during the Christmas holidays. says the warning bomb idea kas been’germinating for many months and is still in the experimental stage. He is confident that in almost every case the present warning signals are entirely efficient, but is quite willing to install further warning devices which will put that issue beyond the range of dispute. e It requires 340 pages of microscopic type to set forth the cash account of the secretary of the Senate for the fiscal year which ended last June 30. This teresting booklet is jyst now ready, Senate Document, No. 40. Expenses of the vice presidential automobile, rang- ing all the way from 50 cents for a can of solder to $70 for the chauffeur’s overcoat, occupy six pages. The carpet for the office of the commitiee on en- rolled bills cost $708.62. A lady named Brown was paid at the rate of 115 cents apiece for washing and ironing 13,913 towels. Just under nine million speeches passed through the folding room, at the rate of $1 per thousand folds. Total disbursements for the Senate, as listed, run a little Dv:r :h.r*ee*mmwn dollars. International good will broadcasts, to be inaugurated by the Columbia Broad- casting System, starting with an ad- dress on the evening of January 21 by Sir Esme Howard, the retiring British Ambassador and dean of the Washing- ton diplomatic corps, and continuing weekly during 1930, mark a new ad- vance in the ever-advancing march of radio programs. High hopes are held by the sponsors and participants that the good will messages will be both en- tertaining and inspiring of international confidence and understanding. Colum- bia's short-wave transmitter, W2XE, at New York will carry the message over- seas. bk ok “Believe It or Not” Ripley seldom makes mistakes, but when in a recent cartoon he set forth that Judah P. Ben- jamin had served as Senator, Attorney General and Secretary of War under two American Governments, though not himself a citizen of the United States, it provoked incredulity and in- vestigation in Government circles here. Secretary of Labor Davis now opines that his own research indicates “a pro- nounced possibility of error” in Ripley's observations concerning the eminent Mr. Benjamin, who was a United States Senator from Louisiana before the Civil War_and held his other offices under the Southern Confederacy. He was born in the Danish West Indies, but acquired his American citizenship when his father was admitted to citizenship at New Orleans in 1826. Judah P., age 15, was then a student at Yale University. Naturalfsation laws then in force pro- vided that a minor if dwelling in the United States at the time of the nat- uralization of his parent “shall be con- sidered a cmze;x 21 :(he‘UA [ A The latest installment of the report of the Department of Commerce sur- vey of the economic structure of New England is just off the press, a highly informative and illuminating document. New England business, according to this expert diagnosis, has suffered from undue conservatism, from undue moa- esty in falling tp boast of its many assets, from inherited wealth, from stifiing of business leadership and from lack of courageous city planning. The experts conclude, however, that funda- mentally New England is sound and that industry there as a whole has “adopted a policy in keepln‘n:(m: the rogressive spirit of the times, New. Englanders are awaken conception of their advantages and opportunities.” * ok ok % ‘Texas produced a hero in 1928, when Bill V:'iflgll‘:s ofhtmhe Lone Star State succeede: pushing a peanut up the slopes of Pikes Peak to the very l’iul’n- mit, with the end of his nose. This week another Texan put in a bid for the Hall of Fame. is name is Wil- liams, too, though no relation to the _peanut pusher. He has got_as far as Baltimore, en route to New York, roll- ing a hoop. To date he has come upward of 2,100 miles, with his hoop turning over beside all the way. Rolling a hoop is a simple labor, hiking from Texas to New York is no novelty, but it is claimed that this is the firsc time on record that hoop rolling and hiking have been combined on such a lengthy marathon. 8o Texas sticks another feather in her cap and Wash- ington wonders if the hoop ‘roller v:ii: run for Congress. ¥ (Copyright, 1930.) e Improved Chicago Seen In New Michigois State From the Grand Rapids Press. The Chicago Tribune proposes the formation of the State of Willigan, combining the best features of several the Nation, and with water terminals on Lake Erie as well as Lake Michigan. Parts of Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin would be included, but Detroit would be left out along with “that part of the State of Michigan which includes the bigots who put widows in jail for life for selling a pint of whisky, while fur- nishing to depraved criminals an asylum free from police interference.” ‘That would be a potent Common- wealth, but for several reasons we favor and prefer the State of Michigols. ‘This State would extend an educative and protective arm down ground the lower end of Lake Michigan and, in- stead of selfishly omitting Chicago, would make that city and its metro- politan area an important and integral part of the governmental unit. At least two advantages of the State of Michigois over the State of Willigan seem obvious: First, gangster-ridden Chicago would be placed under law and its depraved criminals, instead of committing crimes wholesale with impunity, would be laid away in Jackson for life after four rob- beries or other major offenses—this be- ing always, of course, the central object of our Michigan habitual criminal act. Second, because of its new State as- sociations ~Chicago would necesarily have to take new bearings and con- ceive of itself as part of the Lake Mid- dlewest, thereby divesting itself of a number of distracting influences which of late have drawn it from its historic interests and aims. Chicago needs to “swing ship” and correct its compass for Mississippl and other deviations. As part of Michigols it would be a more useful, less destructive and selfish it luence, and less of a problem for the Supreme Court, for prohibition authori- ties and for neiel.boring communities forced much against their will to serve as periodic bases of operations by Chi- cago’s large and well nourished criminal element. While initial objections might be raised in Michigan against the an- nexation, there is reason to hope that altruism would come to the top and that the present State would be per- suaded to make.the sacrifice. After all, the saving of 3,000,000 ~cople can't be wrong. R Crime Era Regarded As Shaking Faith | t. Louis Times. | T*¥hiss Sn era of spasmodic and vio- lent crimes, which shake man’s faith in self-government. There are no reins upon those who are emotional. Men and women both give way to the ex- pression of passion and repent at leisure. The pedestrian nowadays is the victim of his innocent bystanding. Every recurrent outburst of holiday spirit brings death in its wake. Organ- lze? deflance of soclety snaps its fingers at law. Some of the wealth of commissions we have set into actlvity to. find out what is the matter with us are divided as to causes. Some important surveys and reports are looked for next week. There are indications of an even more turbulent outbreak of the factions split over the issue of prohibition. They will arrive at no conclusion. The wet and the dry are still as far from agreement as are the Poles from touching each other. Plenty of diplomatic work lies be- fore President Hoover in the earnest and | efforts to erect the basis of real accord. This is not "f but it is very human. States in a single “economic center” of | P& Humane Society Head Plans Bird Food Fund To_the Editor of The Star: Kindly publish this letter for the benefit of the friends of the squirrels, birds and pigeons in our public parks. Having had many _inquiries, I per- sonally phoned the office of the super- intendent of parks and was assured that 2,000 quarts of peanuts were provided for the squirrels and 600 pounds of scratch feed for the birds. Shortly after this statement was published in our daily papers. On Christmas eve the ground was covered with snow and ice. With one of our agents, Mr. Hugh McDermott, I visited Stanton, Lincoln, Judiciary, Pension, Franklin and La- fayette Parks, and at each interviewed some one in charge and was told that they were given peanuts for the squir- rels, but never any food for the birds or pigeons. At Stanton and Lincoln Parks we saw none, but at Franklin and Lafayette it was a pathetic sight to see countless pigeons and birds cuddled in groups on the ground and benches, waiting for their friends to feed them. We distributed many pounds of scratch feed and 20 pounds of gnnuu in the Capitol grounds, where there is no pro- vision made for either the birds or squirrels. I hope to create a fund for this pur- ose in the Humane Soclety that the irds and squirrels may be fed, through the Winter months at least, by one of our agents. MRS. HERBERT W. ELMORE, President, Washington Humane Soclety. Star Is Commended For Editorial Stand To the Editor of The Star: I wish to express my deep apprecia- tion to The Star for its editorial of January 3, 1930, entitled, “The Boston Mass Meeting.” In my humble opinion the present disregard for all laws, and the prohibi- tion law in particular, would never have come to pass if there had been in our country a few more newspapers compa- rable to The Evening Star. HENRY 8. COE. ——— Silver From China Floods World Market From the Brookiyn Dally Easle. On an average for the past few years Mexico has produced approximately 100,000,000 ounces of silver. The pres- ent quotations are about 47 cents an ounce, the lowest on record. Mexican mines expect to throw several thou- sands of workers out of a job. “China,” says Walter Palmer, a big mine owner in Mexico, in a New York Times in- terview, “owing to her internal wars, has thrown mountains of silver on the market and India is buying only small quantities. Practically all the principal nations of the world have gone on a gold basis, so that silver remains with- out_support.” He adds: “In the arts, while silver is still con- sumed to some extent, its use is much lowered. Silverware is nowadays un- appreciated and uncherished as in years gone by in the home.” This is true, of course. It is a normal consequence of the low value of the metal in. terms of gold. Spoons and forks worth intrinsically only 47 cents an ounce are not likely to be cherished. All small silver articles of ornament must depend on art workmanship for their value, not on the metal itself. All of which considerations point to a collapse in silver production the world over, and are calculated to raise the question as to the future of silver in the world’s eivilization. Mr. Palmer would like to have Mexico, as a govern- ment, coin a fixed proportion of each year's product within her borders large enough to enable mine owners to pay mining wages. For this he finds pre- cedent in the 1918 wartime Pittman act in_the United States, to melt down $250,000,000 of silver dollars and re- purchase silver at $1 per ounce, vir- tually stabilizing the value of silver. He also thinks Mexico should “en- deavor to get the co-operation of Canada and the United States and some Euro] countries to make a more extensive use of silver.” ‘This, of course, does not mean an attack on the gold standard. Money has two distinct functions, first, as a measure of value; second, as a medium of exchange. Gold may be, perhaps should be, the measure of value uni- versally. But anything convenient may be the medium of exchange. Paper has little intrinsic value. Practional coins have no valye approaching what they pass for. A larger use of silver dol- lars, even regarded as “token money,” would increase the demand for the products of the mines, And in many of the world silver, which is more convenient than gold and cleaner than per, is the common preference. As for the experience of the United States the silver dollar of 412!, grains of 90 per cent alloy, first coined in 1838, held its own till 1873, when it was demonetized. For five years it was not a legal tender, though commonly received. It regained the legal tender quality in 1878 through a bill vetoed by Rutherford B. Hayes, but passed over his veto by a vote of 46 to 19 in the Senate and 196 to 73 in the House. But it is noteworthy that the 1873 law (called by Bryan the “crime of 73") authorized the coinage of a non-legal tender silver dollar of 420 grains alloy, identical in value with the “dollar mex.” of the Far East, and intended for the stimulation “of our trade, particularly in China. In the five years up to 1878, when colnage was stopped, some 40,000, 000 such dollars were minted. After 1878 for a long time we had the anomaly of a 420-grain dollar not legal tender and a 412!i-grain dollar good for the payment of all debts. Possibly the issuance of like trade dollars by several important nations would ease up on the silver crisis and the gold standard would not be in the least affected. R Recent Stock Crash Seen Blessing to U. S. Prom the Charlotte News. One' does not usually appraise a dis- aster as the purveyor of a blessing. On the other hand, the human mind nat- urally associates any sort of reversion as an outright and unmitigated evil, without a possibility of virtue arising therefrom. ~ And yet all experience points to the logic of remarking that often what seems for the moment to be a most grievous blight is in realily a great benediction. Hence we discover so able an organ as the Manufacturers’ Record discussing the recent Wall Street panic as a bless- ing. It proceeds on the theory that the orgy that has been going on for several years in stock transactions was merely a balloon sort of activity, and bound in the end to work destruction upon the country as a whole because of the un- naturalness of this form of touted prosperity. In the saner attitude, however, which the mind of the people will now take does the Record find greater reason for naming the recent crash in stocks as a blessing to America. In the release of vast funds that have been tied up for speculative purposes back into the nor- mal channels of constructive activity, in the more conservative trend of financing that is to follow and in the return of the people to safer conclu- slons as to their business and economic practices, that organ sees every sign of a wholesome move toward a new day in American business. And that, to be sure, is sound gospel. Already there is evidence that the peo- ple are facing the situation with heroic attitudes and are becoming more and more determined that the recent col- lapse in stock values shall not be al- lowed to send its baneful influence Lrlckllnf down through the entire struc- ture of our business and industrial relations. Perhaps, after all, it is a good thing occasionally o put the hand on the stove and get it ed rather severely. It teaches people that the intelligent course for them to pursue ig to &tay away entirely from the stove. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. ‘This is & department devoted solely to the dling of queries. This paper puts at your disposal the services of an extensive org‘:'muuon lnuw:la“h; ington to serve you in any capacity rel!l‘:ea to information. This Service is free. Fallure to make use of. it de- prives you of benefits to which you are entitled. Your obligation is only 2 cents in coin or stamps inclosed with your inquiry for direct reply. Address The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washing- ton, D. C. Q. When was knighted?—F. K. H. A. Harry Lauder was knighted in 1919 as a result of his work in con- nection with the wounded during the World War, Q. What per cent of the butter con- sume in the United States is made here?—W. H. M. A. The Department of Agriculture says that approximately 89'; per cent of the butter consumed in this country is produced in this country. The but- ter that is imported comes mostly from Denmark and New Zealand. Q. In writing a will and using the phrase, “without bond and giving her ;en;m thereof,” what does seisin mean? A. 1t is a legal term and means possession. Q. How large is Vatican City? Do any people live within the area who ;q"smfy connected with the church?— A. The new papal state known as ‘Vatican City is about five acres in area and embraces St. Peter’s Square, includ- ing the capacious plot of ground on the southeast side of the Vatican, with the famous colonnades. There are about 500 regular inhabitants and there are still at the present time many who are not associated with the Roman Cath- olic Church. These will all eventually remove. Q. In the new classification for turkey grading, which is the higher %mde. U. 8. Prime or U. 8. Choice?— . W. D, A. The label U. 8. Prime is the higher and U. 8. Choice is second. Q. How long was the English long bow?—C. 8. A. The English long bow was 6 feet in length. It was developed by the Scandinavian race and carried into England at an early date. It was used for exact shooting at a small target 100 feet in distance. Marks at from 150 to 300 yards used the full cast of the bow. Harry Lauder Q. When will the next eclipse of the go:‘n be visible in the United States?— "A." The Naval Observatory says that there will be a partial eclipse of the assoclation, which was held at Barbara. He made 90 hits in each two rounds, scoring 650 in the first an 658 in the second. The woman’s titl was won by Mrs. Audrey Grubbs of Santa Monica, Calif. Q. Where is the &glu college that was dedicated over radio not long ago?—W. McD. A. This school, sald to be the first of its kind in the United States, is lo« cated at Broome and Center streets, New York City. 7, Q. Is it true that most young people are deserting the farms and going to cities>—H. R. 7. A. According to the results of & sur« vey conducted by one of the largest mail-order houses in the United States through its department of home eco- nomics, farm boys and girls are more satisfled with their lot than are any other young peorle in the world. Three- quarters of a million young persons re- siding on farms were questioned as to their futura plans. Ninety-three per cent of the girls replied that they in- tended to remain in the country and more than 80 per cent of the boys had made plans for careers in the rural districts. Q. How much does the Associated Press spend in _collecting and dissem- inating news? How large is its staff>— E. M. G. A. It is stated that the cost of col- lecting and distributing news Ry the Associated Press for its 1,250 members this year will approximate $10,000,000. About 3,300 persons comprise the A.P. staff. Q. What is the population of the United States?—H. V. A. According to announced by the National Bureau of Economic Research, the population of the United States on July 1, 1928, was 119,306,000, Q. At what time did the most soldiers carry Government insurance?—H. T, A. The Veterans’ Bureau says that the largest number of policies were in force on November 11, 1918. At this time there were 4,439,664, Q. Where was Princess Marie Jose born?—F. E. A. The bride of Prince Humbert was born in Brussels, in the Palais d’Assche. ‘The King lived in it for nine years, says Mrs. Larz Anderson in “The 8| of Belgium.” Here the King’s cl were born. During the period of Mr. Anderson’s service in Belgium the Palals was the American legation. Q. WRH:I: gl.ilm;t“i'l lsneuled the Shoe- string Republic>—H. D. A. This name is given to Chile be- cause of the length of the country in proportion to its width. Q. What work of importance did James Buchanan Eads accomplish?— moon, visible all over the United States, | . g, on the night of April 12-13, 1930. Q. How large a nugget of gold has been found?—E. C. A. The largest nugget of gold in the world is the Welcome Nugget, which was found in Bakerz Hill, Bal- larat Victoria, Australia, June 11, 1858. It weighed 2,195 troy ounces. Q. Where can I get tide tables for the Great Lakes?—V, O. A. The Coast and Geodetic Survey says that there are no tide tables avail- able, as the periodic tides in the Great Lakes are so small that they are gen- erally masked by changes in level brought about by winds, changes in atmospheric pressure and river dis- charge, and, consequently, are of no practical importance. Q. Who won the men’s champion- ship in the National Archery Associa- tion contest?>—D. S. A, Dr. E. K. Roberts of Ventura, Calif,, won the men’s championship in the forty-ninth annual contest of this A. During the Civil War James Bu- chanan Eads constructed iron-clad steamers and mortar boats for the United States Government. He con- structed the great steel-arch bridge across the Mississippi at St. Louls dur- ing the years 1867 to 1874. However, the work upon which his reputation principally rests was his dee] and fixing the channel at the mouths of the Mississippi by means of jetties, whereby the narrowed stream was made to scour out its channel and clear sediment out to sea. Shortly before his death he pro- jected a scheme for a ship railway across the Isthmus of ‘Tehauntepee in lieu of an isthmian canal. Q. Where is Hell's Kitchen in New York City?—W. A. A. There is no exact boundary of Hell's Kitchen in New York, N. Y. This name has been applied to the section west of Tenth avenue, between Thirty- eighth and Forty-second streets. It is also sometimes given to the blocks a little farther north. New Calendar Wins Friends, But Debate Still Continues With the beginning of 1930 attention is turned to the projected new calendar which awaits the action of the principal nations of the world. An old resolution in Congress and an international con- ference are debated, while the advocates of the 13-month year are encouraged by reports that numerous business houses of the country have put the new form to experimental use in conducting their affairs. “Congress, at this session.” advises the Buffalo Evening News, “well might con- sider the Porter resolution to provide authority and funds for American par- ticipation in the projected international conference at Geneva this year, to con- sider the advisability of calendar re- form. Such action of Congress would not be definite commitment to a change.” The Evening News suggests that “several hundred American coi- cerns now are using the reformed calendar for business,” but that “until all business houses adopt it, the plan cannot be of great practical value.” The Atlanta Constitution adds that “such a conference, participated in by representatives of every civilized nation in the world, would undoubtedly crystal- lize public interest in the early substitu- tion of the 13-month calendar, or some other more efficient instrument, for the archaic calendar now being used. * K Kk K “Some day,” predicts the San Fran- cisco Chronicle, “we will throw away our present clumsy method of dividing the year, this crazy quilt of anclent Roman mythology, and substitute a simple calendar of equal months, with their week days falling on the same dates. This will be a calendar in line with modern efficiency. ‘The modernized calendar is bound to come. So also is daylight saving. Neither can be held back indefinitely, because both are simple common sense. The great majority of opinion favors them now. They wait only because the human mass is slow to translate its opinions into action. Both will come, an? then we will marvel that we waited 0 long.” “Innumerable organizations have fa- vored the change,” according to the Duluth Herald, “the United States Chamber of Commerce, with its power- ful business associations, heading the list, but the inertia of habit has up to this time prevented anything being done.” The Butte Daily Post quotes.the firms using this plan as “maintaining that it makes for a better comparison of business volume year by year. With every month having the same number of weeks,” continues that paper, “there can be greater efficiency of operation as well as greater accuracy in compiling statistics. If business firms in consider- able numbers take to this 13-month system, it may hasten the day of gen- eral calendar revision.” Wi o Attesting that “this arrangement makes bookkeeping and pay rolls sim- pler”; that “all employes will be paid in units of 28 days”; that “the pay days will be evenly spaced and the days of the week and days of ths business month_will correspond,” the Appleton Post - Crescent concludes: “Business men generally are friendly to the new scheme and think it would be an imi- provement over the present calendar— at least for business purposes. Whether it would serve as well for social an religious purposes is another question.” “Of course,” says the Providence Journal, “no one is asked to adopt this notations, and it is common practice to indicate February 20 by the 2-20. But February 20, old style, will be 2-22 by this new 1930 model calen- dar, and when we get along to the last four weeks in the year, even the numbers of the months will be in dis- agreement.” * ok ok % ‘The New York World also feels that “the new dates will be difficult to cor- relate with those of past years”; that “birthdays and wedding anniversaries on some days will be pushed forward into a new month, and ple have senti- ment about_such tI . ‘The World points out, however: “With two minor changes the present calendar can be made permanent. The first change is to call January 1 New Year day and pot give it any number. The rest of the year would then consist of exactly 52 weeks. n leap year comes Feb- ruary 29 would be called Leap Year day and also have no number. Under this arrangement, Christmas, the Fourth of July and all other national holidays would always come on the same d of the week and Thanksgiving and elec- tion day would always come on the same day of the month instead of vary- ing as they do now.” As to this suggestion, the Danbury Evening News states: “If business must have a settled calendar, the World's proposal seems excellent, involving no perceptible break with tradition. is a ‘middle-of-the-foad’ proposition, & compromise which retains the best fea- tures of each of the old ones.” “Unless all signs fail, it will be a long time before the world gets beyond the debate stage with the calendar revision,” in the judgment of the Santa Barbara Daily News. The Springfleld (IIl.) State Register comments: “For many reasons it has been difficult to influ- ence public sentiment in favor of the new calendar. The average citizen seems to be content to let well enough alone in the matter of time reckofing, and as the change would be a rather radical departure from what has been in effect over so many generations, he fails to see why it is so important at this late date. Setting-Up Exercise Theory Is Shattered From the Savannah Morning News. Philadelphia Ledger: Among the earliest shattered illusions of 1930 must be recorded the belief that semn‘-un exercises make one healthy, wealthy and wise and strong enough to carry a lot cn a narrow margin. The shat- tering was perpetrated by more or less unimpeachable authorities—members of the Society of Directors of Physical Education in Colleges, at their thirty- third annual meeting. In their opin- fon, the feeling of sweet superiority enjoyed by the man who gets out of bed 15 minutes before he has to and goes through various rather comic bodily motions has hardly a leg to stand on. So, at the beginning of this other- wise happy new year, we are called upon to pause before the battered form of the once noble and respected science of calisthenics and drop a tear. The professors did not utterly condemn this kind of exercise. They were careful not to indicate that they deem it actually harmful. simply listed it as & in a series of 30 ways a Gene Tunney or a perfect 36. e individual who makes poor twenty-ninth new calendar; in fact, no one is ex- pected to. It has been devised merely as a commercial convenience, and it is expected to facilitate business calcula- tions and the general routine of ac- counting. But one would imagine that it would produce a sad confusion in all outside transactions, Suppose, for in- stance, that a note falls due on Febru- ary 20. Even now the name of the month is often omitted in commercial | Oreg. o e & point of avoiding some sort of physi- cal exercise every day will yezpoom into his own. e Desperate Criminals. From the Detroit News. ‘While thoughtful citizens are ing the causes of prison . riot yodelers are sent to jail in nder- two nd,